What it is
The Redis MCP Server gives agents 53 tools across the main Redis data types: strings, hashes, lists, sets, sorted sets, streams with consumer groups, pub/sub and JSON documents. It also includes query engine tools to create a vector index on hashes and run vector or hybrid search, server tools such as info, dbsize and client_list, and a search_redis_documents tool that sends questions to Redis's documentation search API.
Install from PyPI with uvx --from redis-mcp-server@latest redis-mcp-server --url redis://localhost:6379/0, or use the mcp/redis Docker image. It supports Redis ACL users, TLS through rediss:// URLs and Entra ID authentication for Azure Managed Redis. The latest release is 0.5.1 from 5 August 2026; the MIT-licensed repo, with about 640 stars, was still taking commits in October 2026.
Install
uvx --from redis-mcp-server@latest redis-mcp-server --url redis://localhost:6379/0Our review
For agents that need short-term memory, a queue or a small vector store, Redis is a natural backend, and this server exposes nearly all of it: 53 tools, from set with an expiry to xreadgroup and hybrid_search. Creating a vector index and querying it from the same server suits retrieval experiments without standing up a separate vector database.
It is young and local-only. Releases are still pre-1.0, and the README says only stdio is supported, with Streamable HTTP promised for the future. That rules out a shared remote server for a team: each person runs their own process with their own credentials, and there is no central place to audit what agents did.
Safety is left to Redis itself. There is no read-only flag; the README instead shows how to create an ACL user with +@read -@write, which is the right answer and should be treated as mandatory against any database holding sessions or cached user data. delete, rename and expire act immediately. Key discovery uses SCAN rather than KEYS, so browsing a large keyspace does not block the server, but scan_all_keys on a big database will fill the model's context long before it is useful.
Two smaller points matter to engineers. Loading 53 tool definitions into every session is heavy if the agent only needs a cache, and the docs tool posts queries to redis.io by default. MongoDB's server offers a --readOnly flag; Redis asks you to do that work in the database, which is more robust but easier to forget.
Where it earns its place
A backend developer debugging a Sidekiq queue on a local Redis
See which jobs are stuck and what they contain
lrange and llen on the queue keys, hgetall on job hashes, all through a read-only ACL user so the agent cannot drop jobs. Free, and quicker than a redis-cli session when the data is unfamiliar.
An ML engineer prototyping retrieval on Redis Cloud
Store embeddings and test search quality from a chat client
create_vector_index_hash, set_vector_in_hash and vector_search_hash against an Essentials database from $5 a month (250 MB). A free 30 MB database is enough to try the workflow before paying.
A platform lead at a fintech reviewing agent access to production caches
Decide whether support engineers can inspect session data through Claude
Workable only with a per-engineer ACL user limited to read commands and specific key patterns, each running the server locally. With no shared server, auditing falls to Redis-side monitoring, which may not satisfy a regulator.
Before you commit
- Setup
- One uvx command or the mcp/redis Docker image, pointed at a redis:// or rediss:// URL; the README gives JSON client configs, and the first tool call works as soon as the client restarts.
- Integrations
- 53 tools: strings, hashes, lists, sets, sorted sets, streams, pub/sub, JSON, vector and hybrid search, key management (delete, rename, expire, scan_keys) and server info. Most groups include write tools.
- Data and privacy
- The server can do whatever its Redis user can, so restrict it with ACLs. It runs locally and no vendor sees your data, except that search_redis_documents sends questions to redis.io's docs search API.
- Cost at scale
- Free under MIT. Redis Cloud costs nothing for 30 MB, Essentials starts at $5 a month (250 MB to 100 GB) and Pro has a $200 monthly minimum; agent traffic is small next to application load, so the database plan is the cost.
- Limits
- stdio only; no read-only flag; scan_keys returns one partial batch per call, so listing a large keyspace takes many round trips and a lot of context.
What's good
- 53 tools covering every core data type plus streams and JSON
- Vector index creation and hybrid search in one server
- ACL, TLS and Entra ID authentication
- SCAN-based key listing that does not block Redis
What's not
- stdio only; no remote server
- No read-only mode; relies on Redis ACLs
- Pre-1.0 (0.5.1)
- Large tool list for simple caching jobs
Best for
Developers who use Redis for caching, queues or vectors and want agents to read and write that data.
Alternatives
Redis MCP Server: common questions
- Is Redis MCP Server worth it?
- Broad, faithful coverage of Redis for a local agent, but with no remote transport and no read-only switch it belongs next to a development database. We rate it 3.8 out of 5.
- How much does Redis MCP Server cost?
- Free and MIT-licensed. Redis Cloud has a free 30 MB database; Essentials from $5/month; Pro from a $200/month minimum.
- What are the downsides of Redis MCP Server?
- stdio only; no remote server; no read-only mode; relies on Redis ACLs; pre-1.0 (0.5.1); large tool list for simple caching jobs.
- Who is Redis MCP Server best for?
- Developers who use Redis for caching, queues or vectors and want agents to read and write that data.
- How much does Redis MCP Server cost for a team or in production?
- Free under MIT. Redis Cloud costs nothing for 30 MB, Essentials starts at $5 a month (250 MB to 100 GB) and Pro has a $200 monthly minimum; agent traffic is small next to application load, so the database plan is the cost.
- Is Redis MCP Server safe for company data?
- The server can do whatever its Redis user can, so restrict it with ACLs. It runs locally and no vendor sees your data, except that search_redis_documents sends questions to redis.io's docs search API.
- What are the best Redis MCP Server alternatives?
- The closest alternatives we have reviewed are MongoDB MCP Server and MCP Toolbox for Databases.
Answers checked Oct 23, 2026.